Cortinarius kranabetteri Niskanen et al.

Xie, M. L., Dima, B., Wang, K., Phukhamsakda, C., Li, Y., Qi, L. L., Li, G. J., Liu, T. Z., Jia, P. S., Wang, Q., Song, L. R., Wei, T. Z. & Li, Y., 2025, Taxonomy and phylogeny of Cortinarius sect. Anomali in China, Persoonia 54 (1), pp. 225-263 : 246-247

Cortinarius kranabetteri Niskanen et al. , Mycol. Progr. 20: 1425. 2021. Figs 2H , 6G , 7G .

Pileus 16–54 mm diam., at first hemispherical, later plane to convex, surface viscid when moist, somewhat shiny to distinctly glittery when dry, not hygrophanous, at first yellowish fibrillose, smooth when mature, violet white when young, finally greyish ochreous to greyish brown. Lamellae emarginate, moderately crowded, lilac to greyish violet when young, later greyish orange to brown, edges even at first, then slightly serrate. Stipe 43–90 mm long, 10–11 mm thick, cylindrical to subcylindical, slightly thickened at the base, 10– 25 mm thick, surface shiny white fibrillose, white with bluish tinges when young, then yellowish, basal mycelium whitish. Universal veil yellowish, forming fibrils on pileus surface and sock like sheath on the stipe, later sparse. Context in pileus fleshy, white, in stipe bluish tinges at apex, becoming white to greyish white at base, soft to hollow. Odour radish. Taste mild. Basidiospores 6.7–9.3 × 5.7–7.2 μm, Q = 1.06–1.40, Xav. = 7.5–7.9 × 6.0–6.4 μm, Qav. = 1.21–1.24, subgloboid to broadly ellipsoid, weakly, finely to moderately verrucose. Basidia clavate, 4-spored, hyaline to subhyaline, rarely yellowish to yellowish brown. Lamellar edge fertile. Pileipellis duplex: epicutis well developed, hyphae interwoven, hyaline or yellow to yellowish brown, hyphae 2.5–8.0 μm wide, smooth; hypocutis well developed, hyphae 10–30 μm wide, hyaline to slightly yellowish brown, cylindrical to enlarged, smooth. Clamp connections present.

Ecology and distribution: Known from Heilongjiang, and Inner Mongolia under Betula platyphylla or mixed with Larix gmelinii , also from Xizang in mixed forests of Abies , Betula , Quercus and Rosaceae . Widespread in North America, under conifer or mixed with Populus , also known from Estonia in Europe based on the molecular data from soil samples.

Specimens examined: China, Heilongjiang Province, Mohe County, Gulian Town, in Betula platyphylla forest, alt. 550 m, 25 Aug. 2016, M.L. Xie, HMJAU 48644, HMJAU 48645, HMJAU 48646; Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Genhe County, Mangui Town, Ningcuishan Park, in mixed forest of Betula platyphylla and Larix gmelinii , alt. 820 m, 1 Sep. 2016, M.L. Xie, HMJAU 48647, HMJAU 48648; 25 Aug. 2017, M.L. Xie, HMJAU 48643; Xizang Autonomous Region, Mainling County, Lilonggou, in mixed forest of Abies , Betula , Quercus and Rosaceae , alt. 3219 m, 14 Sep. 2016, T.Z. Wei, Z.X. Wu, L. Yang, H.D. Zheng & X.C. Wang, HMAS 277353, HMAS 277354.

Notes: This is the first report of C. kranabetteri from China. It produces small- to medium-sized basidiomata. The pileus is often viscid when moist, shiny to distinctly glittery when dry, and the basidiospores are subgloboid to broadly ellipsoid. The sequences of the Chinese specimens formed a strongly supported monophyletic group with the holotype. Phylogenetically, C. kranabetteri formed a sister relationship with C. perrotensis and differs by six substitutions and indel positions in nrITS region, with a similarity of 99.0 %.

Figures

Fig. 2. Basidiomata. A. Cortinarius albocyaneoides HMJAU 48664 (holotype). B. C. albocyaneus HMJAU 44499. C. C. azureovelatus HMJAU 48736. D. C. campanianomalus HMJAU 48692. E. C. campanianomalus HMJAU 48748 (holotype). F. C. caninus HMJAU 44372. G. C. epsomiensis HMJAU 44505. H. C. kranabetteri HMJAU 48644. Photos by M.L. Xie. Scale bars = 20 mm.

Fig. 6. Transmitted light microscopy imaging of basidiospores. A. Cortinarius albocyaneoides HMJAU 48664 (holotype). B. C. albocyaneus HMJAU 44499. C. C. azureovelatus HMJAU 48736. D. C. campanianomalus HMJAU 48748 (holotype). E. C. caninus HMJAU 44372. F. C. epsomiensis HMJAU 44505.G. C. kranabetteri HMJAU 48644.H. C. lepidopus HMJAU 48715.I. C. microalbocyaneus HMJAU 48706 (holotype). J. C. neocaninus HMJAU 48691 (holotype). K. C. perrotensis HMJAU 48662. L. C. qilianensis HMJAU 44508 (holotype). M. C. robustianomalus HMAS 254763 (holotype). N. Cortinarius rufolilacinus HMJAU 48739 (holotype). O. Cortinarius subalbocyaneus HMJAU 48659 (holotype). P. C. subanomalus HMJAU 48752 (holotype). Q. C. subclackamasensis HMJAU 48642. R. C. tabularis HMJAU 44269. S. C. vernalianomalus HMJAU 48770 (holotype). T. C. xizangensis HMAS 274227 (holotype). Photos by M.L. Xie. Scale bars = 10 µm.

Fig. 7. Scanning electron microscopy imaging of basidiospores. A. Cortinarius albocyaneoides HMJAU 48664 (holotype). B. C. albocyaneus HMJAU 44499. C. C. azureovelatus HMJAU 48736. D. C. campanianomalus HMJAU 48748 (holotype). E. C. caninus HMJAU 44372. F. C. epsomiensis HMJAU 44505.G. C. kranabetteri HMJAU 48644.H. C. lepidopus HMJAU 48715.I. C. microalbocyaneus HMJAU 48706 (holotype). J. C. neocaninus HMJAU 48691 (holotype). K. C. perrotensis HMJAU 48662. L. C. qilianensis HMJAU 44508 (holotype). M. C. robustianomalus HMAS 254763 (holotype). N. Cortinarius rufolilacinus HMJAU 48739 (holotype). O. Cortinarius subalbocyaneus HMJAU 48659 (holotype). P. C. subanomalus HMJAU 48752 (holotype). Q. C. subclackamasensis HMJAU 48642. R. C. tabularis HMJAU 44269. S. C. vernalianomalus HMJAU 48770 (holotype). T. C. xizangensis HMAS 274227 (holotype). Photos by M.L. Xie.